Curandero
A curandero (or curandera for a female) is a traditional folk healer or shaman that is prevalent in Mexico and Chicano communities in the southwestern United States. They are often respected members of the community, being highly religious and spiritual. Literally translating as "healer" from Spanish, curanderos often use herbs and other natural remedies to cure illnesses, but their primary method of healing is the supernatural. This is because they believe that the cause of many illnesses is evil spirits, the punishment of God, or a curse.
Curanderos commonly treat ailments like espanto (Spanish for "shock"), empacho, and mal de ojo ("evil eye") with religious rituals, ceremonial cleansing, and prayers. Their remedies are often helpful, but sometimes have negative effects on the health of their patients. For example, a common method of healing mollera caída, a condition in which an infant's fontanelle has sunken, is to hold the infant's feet with its head down and perform a ceremonial ritual. Other remedies are harmless – a common method of treating mal de ojo is to rub an egg over the body of the sick to draw out the evil spirit causing the disease.
These methods of treating health problems often lead to conflict with modern medicine, because doctors reject the curandero's healing as superstitious and worthless. As a result, curanderos have often often experienced discrimination and been likened to witches, both by the medical profession and non-hispanic communities. However, because of the importance of the supernatural in traditional Mexican culture, these insults generally lead only to disagreement and rejection of modern medicine by traditionally minded mexicans. Other medical doctors, recognizing the benefits of the spiritual and emotional healing offered by curanderos, have begun to work in conjunction with them, supporting their use of rituals and ceremonies in the healing of the sick while insisting that patients receive modern medical attention as well.
Curanderos, probably because of the mystery and intrigue that surrounds them, are frequently included in fictional works, such as the book "Bless Me, Ultima", by the Chicano author Rudolfo Anaya. The life and writing of Miguel Ruiz was also influenced by curanderismo, since his mother was a curandera.
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Categories: Mediators | Mexican culture | Traditional medical practices | Shamanism